Ash vs French Gray
Where Ash belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, French Gray is a Farrow & Ball color. Ash reads as grey, while French Gray reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Ash (LRV 56) reflects noticeably more light than French Gray (LRV 43), a difference of 13 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 12.6, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Ash vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Ash and French Gray in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Ash will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Ash reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Ash returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Ash reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.
Color Details
Ash vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ash on one side and French Gray on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Ash comparisons
See how Ash stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 56), opening up a space where Ash encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (56 vs 52) makes Ash the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 56 vs 30, Ash is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (60 vs 56) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 58 and 56, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Ash reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
With LRVs of 56 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Ash reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 56, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 56), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 56), opening up a space where Ash encloses it.
Ash reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Ash reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 56), opening up a space where Ash encloses it.
Ash reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Ash reads slightly lighter (LRV 56 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 56 vs 31, Ash is decisively the brighter choice.
